Conductive PVD stack-up design to improve reliability of deposited electrodes

ABSTRACT

An electronic device can include a housing component that can define an interior surface and an exterior surface of the device, a metallic film deposited on the interior surface and extending at least partially onto the exterior surface, and a ceramic film deposited on the exterior surface and at least partially over a portion of the metallic film on the exterior surface. The ceramic film can be in electrical communication with a portion of the metallic film deposited on the interior surface to form an electrical pathway from the exterior surface to the interior surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/564,655, filed Sep. 9, 2019 and entitled “CONDUCTIVE PVD STACK-UPDESIGN TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY OF DEPOSITED ELECTRODES,” the disclosureof which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to conductive coatings. Moreparticularly, the present embodiments relate to thin film conductivecoatings for electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices are increasingly being design with device portabilityin mind, for example, to allow users to use these devices in a widevariety of situations and environments. In the context of wearabledevices, these devices can be designed to be operated in many differentlocations and environments, and can be exposed to a wide range ofenvironment conditions, some of which can be particularly harsh ontraditional or conventional electronic device designs.

At the same time, electronic devices continue to include increasinglylarge numbers of features, some of which can require the device tointeract with, or be provided information from, the ambient environment.Conventional techniques for allowing a device to communicate with theenvironment, such as providing openings or apertures in the devicehousing to allow sensors to communicate with the environment, can becomeingress points for environmental contaminants and can result in theretention of undesirable liquids or abrasive particles in the interiorof the device. This retention or exposure to environmental materials orconditions can result in an undesired amount of degradation in theperformance or operation of one or more features of the device. Further,such openings or ports can impact the cosmetic appearance of a device inways that are not pleasing to a user.

As a result, it can be desirable to provide alternative components andmethods for allowing communication between the ambient environment andcomponents, such as sensors housed in the internal volume of a device,that do not include apertures or that do not expose portions of theinternal volume of the device to environmental conditions.

SUMMARY

According to some aspects of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice can include a housing component defining an interior surface andan exterior surface of the device. A metallic film is deposited on theinterior surface and extending at least partially onto the exteriorsurface, and a ceramic film is deposited on the exterior surface and atleast partially over a portion of the metallic film on the exteriorsurface. The ceramic film is in electrical communication with a portionof the metallic film deposited on the interior surface.

In some examples, the electronic device can further include a sealisolating an internal volume of the electronic device at least partiallydefined by the interior surface from an ambient environment. Theelectronic device can also include an electronic component disposed inthe internal volume and electrically coupled to the ceramic film,wherein the exterior surface is exposed to the ambient environment, andthe metallic film and the ceramic film form are electrically coupled tothe electronic component by a conductive ink. The metallic film caninclude at least one of chromium or titanium. The ceramic film caninclude a carbonitride. The interior surface can include a concavegeometry and the exterior surface can include a convex geometry. Thehousing component can be transparent.

According to some aspects, a housing for an electronic device caninclude a conductive film deposited on a first surface of the housingthat extends at least partially onto a second surface of the housingopposite the first surface, and a ceramic film deposited on the secondsurface and at least partially over a portion of the conductive filmdeposited on the second surface. The conductive film and the ceramicfilm can form an electrically conductive pathway extending across thefirst surface and the second surface.

In some examples, the housing can further include a conductive inkdeposited over a portion of the conductive film deposited on the firstsurface. At least one of the ceramic film or the conductive film can bedeposited by a physical vapor deposition process. The conductive filmcan include a first conductive layer in electrical contact with thefirst surface and a second conductive layer deposited on the secondsurface at least partially over the first conductive layer. The firstconductive layer can be formed prior to the second conductive layer, andthe ceramic film can be formed subsequent to the first conductive layerand the second conductive layer.

The first conductive layer can have a thickness of 100 nanometers andthe second conductive film can have a thickness of 50 nanometers. Theceramic film can have a thickness of 1 micron. The conductive materialcan include at least one of chromium or titanium. The ceramic materialcan include a nitride forming the conductive material. The first surfacecan include a non-planar surface. The ceramic film can have an L* valueof 55 to 65 in a CIELAB color space.

According to some aspects, a method of forming an electricallyconductive housing component can include depositing a first conductivelayer on a first surface of the housing component, depositing a secondconductive layer on a second surface of the housing component oppositethe first surface, the second conductive layer at least partiallyoverlapping the first conductive layer, and depositing a ceramic layerover the second metallic film.

In some examples, the conductive layer can include at least one ofchromium or titanium, and the ceramic layer can include a nitridematerial including at least one of chromium or titanium. The housingcomponent can be a first housing component, and the method can furtherinclude sealing an interface between the first housing component and asecond housing component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an electronic device.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the electronic device ofFIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the electronicdevice of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 shows a top view of a portion of an electronic device including acomponent.

FIG. 5A shows a bottom view of the component of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 5B shows a top view of the component of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a component of anelectronic device.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a component of anelectronic device.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic deviceincluding a component.

FIG. 9 shows a process flow diagram for forming a component of anelectronic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included withinthe spirit and scope of the described embodiments, as defined by theappended claims.

An electronic device can include a housing component that at leastpartially defines an interior surface and an exterior surface of thedevice. The interior surface can at least partially define an internalvolume of the device. A metallic film can be deposited on the interiorsurface of the component and can extend at least partially onto theexterior surface. A ceramic film can be deposited on the exteriorsurface of the component and at least partially over the portion of themetallic film on the exterior surface. The ceramic film can be inelectrical communication with the portion of the metallic film depositedon the interior surface to provide an electrical pathway from theexterior surface to the interior surface through both the ceramic filmand the metallic film. The electronic device can further include a sealthat can isolate the internal volume of the device from the ambientenvironment, and the electrical pathway defined by the ceramic film andthe metallic film can provide a signal along the electrical pathway andacross the seal to the internal volume of the device, where it can becommunicated to one or more components, such as a sensors, that arecontained in the internal volume of the device.

A portable electronic device can be made more robust by reducing and/oreliminating the number of openings leading from an internal volumedefined by the device's housing to an exterior surface of the devicehousing. At the same time, however, it can be desirable to incorporateone or more sensors into the device that require communication with theexternal environment. For example, a conventional input/output port of adevice can often include a cavity for receiving an electrical connector.This cavity can allow for the undesired ingress of liquid into at leasta portion of the device housing. While such a cavity can be sealed fromother portions of the internal volume of the device, the presence ofcorrosive liquids or debris can damage or degrade the operation of thedevice over time.

It can also be desirable to provide sensors in a device that can allowthe device to monitor a user's biometric parameters. For example, awearable device, owing to its generally continuous contact with user'sskin while it is being worn, can include sensors that monitor one ormore conditions of the user's skin, such as its electrical properties.These electrical properties can be tracked by the device over time toenable a wide variety of functions and features that can be desirable toa user. In order to achieve this functionality, however, a path mustexist from the sensor, generally housed in the internal volume of thedevice, and the user's skin, positioned external to the device. As aresult, similar problems with the undesired ingress of liquid orabrasive particles can be experienced by conventional deviceconfigurations.

As described herein, it can be desirable to provide an electricallyconductive pathway that extends from an exterior surface of the device,across a seal or sealant material, and into the internal volume of thedevice, whereupon the pathway can be electrically coupled to one or morecomponents, such as sensors. In some examples, this electrical pathwaycan be achieved by including a housing component that includes a layerof electrically conductive material that extends from an exteriorsurface of the component to an interior surface past a seal or waterproofing element of the device housing.

For example, a layer or layers of material that can provide a desiredlevel of electrical contact with a user's skin can be deposited upon andextend between peripheral regions of opposing surfaces of a firsthousing component. In some examples, these layers can be considered tobe a contact electrode. When an interface between the first housingcomponent and a second housing component is sealed, the deposited layeror layers can provide a robust electrically conductive pathway leadinginto and out of the housing without impacting the water-resistance ofthe device housing and without undesirably exposing portions of theinternal volume of the device to environment conditions. In someexamples, this electrically conductive pathway can relay electricalsignals to thereby provide sensor readings and/or power between theinside and outside of the device housing.

In some examples, it can be beneficial to deposit the layer or layersforming the electrical pathway on a housing component at a location thatis inconspicuous to a user. Further, it can be desirable to form theelectrical pathway over a component that is substantially electricallyinsulating in order to prevent cross-talk or noise in the signalprovided along the pathway. Accordingly, one or more layers of materialcan form a contact electrode defining an electrical pathway on a housingcomponent. The layers of material can include a polymeric or ceramicmaterial, such as polycarbonate, glass, or sapphire.

As the layers of the contact electrode are exposed to the ambientenvironment, however, it can be desirable to deposit layers that areable to withstand environmental exposure and typical use, while stillproviding a reliable electrical pathway to the interior of the device.In some examples, a contact electrode can be exposed to the ambientenvironment and everyday use without becoming worn, scratched off,delaminated, corroded, or otherwise degraded. Accordingly, in someexamples, an exterior surface of a contact electrode can be formed froma material that has desired levels of hardness and corrosion resistance,while other layers of the contact electrode that are not be exposed tothe environment can have relatively high levels of electricalconductivity and can be relatively ductile or deformable, for example,to prevent or reduce brittle failure and prevent, reduce, or withstanddelamination of one or more layers of the contact electrode from thematerial of the component on which it is formed.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1-9 . However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that thedetailed description given herein with respect to these Figures is forexplanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an electronic device 100. The electronicdevice shown in FIG. 1 is a wearable device, such as a smartwatch. Thesmartwatch 100 of FIG. 1 is merely one representative example of adevice that can be used in conjunction with the components and methodsdisclosed herein. The electronic device 100 can correspond to any formof an electronic device, medical device, health-sensing device, awearable electronic device, a portable media player, a media storagedevice, a portable digital assistant (“PDA”), a tablet computer, acomputer, a mobile communication device, a GPS unit, a remote controldevice, and other devices. The electronic device 100 can be referred toas an electronic device or a consumer device. Further details of theelectronic device 100 are provided below with reference to FIG. 2 .

Referring now to FIG. 2 , the electronic device 100 can include ahousing 101, and a cover 103 attached to the housing 101. The housing101 can substantially define at least a portion of an exterior surfaceof the device 100, and can include a base and sidewalls 120. The cover103 can be transparent and can include glass, ceramic, plastic, or anyother substantially transparent material, component, or assembly. Thecover 103 can cover or otherwise overlay a display, a camera, a touchsensitive surface, and/or other components of the device 100. The cover103 can define a front exterior surface of the device 100.

A back cover 110 can also be attached to the housing 101, for example,opposite the cover 103. The back cover 110 can include ceramic, plastic,metal, or combinations thereof. In some examples, the back cover 110 caninclude a component 130. The component 130 can be an at least partiallyelectromagnetically transparent component 130. The component 130 caninclude a transparent material and can include one or more portions thatare transparent to any desired wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation,such as visible light, infrared light, radio waves, or combinationsthereof. In some examples, the component 130 can be disposed over one ormore sensors housed in the internal volume of the device 100, such aselectromagnetic radiation emitters and/or detectors. Together, thehousing 101, the cover 103, and the back cover 110 can substantiallydefine an interior volume and an exterior surface of the device 100.

In some examples, the component 130 can include one or more contactelectrodes disposed on an exterior surface of the component. Forexample, the component 130 can include a first contact electrode 132 anda second contact electrode 133. In some examples, the first and secondcontact electrodes 132, 133 can be designed to provide an electricalcontact with a user's skin, for example, when the smartwatch 100 isaffixed to the user with a strap 102 that is coupled to the housing 101.In some examples, the contact electrodes 132, 133 can provide anelectrical pathway for a signal to be relayed or transmitted from anexterior surface of the electronic device 100 to the interior volume ofthe device 100. In some examples, the electrical pathway provided by thecontact electrodes 132, 133 can be in communication with one or morecomponents, for example, one or more sensors contained in the internalvolume of the device 100. One or both of the first contact electrode 132and the second contact electrode 133 can include a conductive film and aceramic film.

The device 100 can also include internal components, such as a hapticengine, battery, and system in package (SiP), including one or moreintegrated circuits, such as processors, sensors, and memory. The SiPcan also include a package. The device 100 can further include one ormore electromagnetic radiation emitters and detectors, such as lightemitting diodes, cameras, optical detectors, infrared detectors, andother detectors and/or emitters. These emitters and detectors can beassociated with one or more systems of the device, such as a camerasystem, vision system, and/or biometric system. The internal components,such as one or more emitters and detectors, can be disposed within aninternal volume defined at least partially by the housing 101, and canbe affixed to the housing 101 via internal surfaces, attachmentfeatures, threaded connectors, studs, posts, or other features, that areformed into, defined by, or otherwise part of the housing 101 and/or thecover 103 or back cover 110. In some examples, the attachment featurescan be formed on interior surfaces of the housing 101, for example, bymachining.

The housing 101 can be a substantially continuous or unitary component,and can include one or more openings 112 to receive input components ofthe electronic device 100, such as a button 114, and/or to provideaccess to an internal portion of the electronic device 100. In someexamples, the device 100 can include input components such as one ormore buttons 114 and/or a crown 115. In some examples, the device 100can further include a seal or sealant material that can provide anairtight and/or watertight seal at the locations of the openings 112.The electronic device 100 can further include a strap 102, or othercomponent designed to attach the device 100 to a user, or to otherwiseprovide wearable functionality. In some examples, the strap 102 can be aflexible material that can comfortably allow the device 100 to beretained on a user's body at a desired location. Further, the housing101 can include a feature or features 113 therein that can provideattachment locations for the strap 102. In some examples, the strap 102can be retained on the housing 101 by any desired techniques. Forexample, the strap 102 can include magnets that are attracted withmagnets disposed within the housing 101, can include retentioncomponents that mechanically retain the strap 102 against the housing101, or combinations thereof.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the smartwatch 100illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 . As described with respect to FIG. 2 , thesmartwatch 100 can include a back cover 110 and a component 130 coupledto the back cover 110, for example, at an aperture defined by the backcover 110. The component 130 can be sealed to the back cover 110, forexample, with an adhesive, a sealant material, a gasket, or by any otherdesired method or material. That is, in some examples, an interfacebetween the component 130 and the back cover 110 can be sealed with anadhesive, a sealant material, a gasket, or by any other desired methodor material. In some examples, the component 130 can include atransparent portion or material 131 that can define an exterior surfaceand an interior surface of the component 130. A first contact electrode132 and a second contact electrode 133 can be formed or deposited on anexterior surface of the transparent portion 131, and can extend from theexterior surface to the interior surface. In some examples, one or bothof the first contact electrode 132 and second contact electrode 133 canbe electrically coupled to one or more components in the interior volumeof the device 100, as described herein. For example, because the firstcontact electrode 132 and/or the second contact electrode 133 can extendfrom an exterior surface of the transparent portion 131 to an interiorsurface that can define an internal volume of the device 100, electricalsignals can be transmitted from the exterior surface of the device 100the interior volume, such as to a sensor 126. The internal volume,however, can be and can remain sealed with respect to the ambientenvironment while the electrical signals can be transmitted through anelectric pathway defined by the first contact electrode 132 and thesecond contact electrode 133. In some examples, the exterior surfaceand/or the interior surface defined by the component 130 can benon-planar. For example, an exterior surface of the component 130 can bea convex surface, while an interior surface of the component 130 can bea concave surface.

The electronic device 100 can also include a number of componentsdisposed in the internal volume that is at least partially defined bythe back cover 110 and the component 130. For example, the electronicdevice 100 can include a frame 122 that can support one or more internalcomponents, such as a battery 124. The electronic device 100 can alsoinclude a support structure 129 that can be coupled to or otherwisesupport a sensor 126. In some examples, the sensor 126 can be abiometric sensor and can be in electronic communication with one or bothof the first contact electrode 132 and the second contact electrode 133.In some examples, the sensor 126 can include an electrocardiography (EKGor ECG) sensor, an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor, anelectromyography (EMG) sensor, an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor, abioelectrical impedance sensor, other biometric sensors, or combinationsthereof.

The electronic device 100 can also include one or more additionalcomponents or sensors, such as a light-emitting component 128 and anoptical sensor 127. The optical sensor 127 can be designed to receivelight that has been transmitted back through the transparent portion 131after interacting with the ambient environment, such as the portion ofthe user adjacent to the component 130. In some examples, this light canbe emitted by the light-emitting component 128 before interacting withthe ambient environment.

In some examples, the device 100 can include sensors such as audiosensors (e.g., microphones), optical or visual sensors (e.g., cameras,visible light sensors, infrared sensors, or ultraviolet light sensors),proximity sensors, touch sensors, force sensors, mechanical devices(e.g., crowns, switches, buttons, or keys), vibration sensors,orientation sensors, motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers or velocitysensors), location sensors (e.g., global positioning system (GPS)devices), thermal sensors, communication devices (e.g., wired orwireless communication devices), resistive sensors, magnetic sensors,electroactive polymers (EAPs), strain gauges, electrodes, or somecombination thereof.

In some examples, the sensor 126 can be electrically coupled to both thefirst contact electrode 132 and the second contact electrode 133, asdescribed herein. In this configuration, a voltage drop resulting from auser's skin contacting the first and second contact electrodes 132, 133can be monitored by the sensor 126 and, for example, relayed to aprocessor of the device 100 to measure one or more biometric parametersof a user of the electronic device 100. In some examples, electricalsignals provided to the sensor 126 in the internal volume of the device100 by the first and second contact electrodes 132, 133 can be combinedwith signals from one or more other sensors of the device, such as anoptical sensor 127, to provide an accurate biometric measurement of auser's physical state. Various examples of components, such as housingcomponents including films or layers that can provide electricalpathways between the surfaces of the component and processes for formingthe same are described below with reference to FIGS. 4-5B.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of a portion of an electronic device thatcan be similar to, and include some or all of the features of theelectronic device 100 described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-3 . FIG.4 shows the interior surfaces of a back cover 210 that can besubstantially similar to the back cover 110 described herein, andfurther shows a component 230 that can be sealed to the back cover 210.In some examples, the component 230 can include a transparent portionand can be sealed to the back cover 210 along the perimeter of thecomponent 230. Although illustrated as a substantially circularcomponent 230, in some examples, the component 230 can include anydesired shape. For example, the component 230 can be substantiallyrectangular, triangular, or any desired polygonal or polyhedral shape.The component 230 can be disposed in an aperture 211 that is at leastpartially defined by the back cover 210. In some examples, the component230 can have a peripheral shape that corresponds to, or is substantiallysimilar to, the shape of the aperture 211 defined by the back cover 210.In some examples, the component 230 can be sealed or coupled to the backcover 210 buy a sealant material or a gasket 270 that can be disposedaround the periphery of the aperture 211 and/or component 230. In someexamples, the sealant material 270 can be an adhesive, glue, gasket, orany other material capable of providing an airtight and/or watertightseal between the component 230 and the back cover 210. Further detailsof the component 230 are described below with respect to FIGS. 5A and5B.

FIG. 5A shows a bottom view of the component 230, for example, a portionof the component 230 that can at least partially define an exteriorsurface of an electronic device including the component 230. As withcomponent 130, the component 230 can include a transparent portion ormaterial 231 that can define an exterior or rear surface 234 of thecomponent 230. In some examples, a first contact electrode 232 and asecond contact electrode 233 can be formed or deposited on the exteriorsurface 234 of the transparent portion 231. In some examples, the firstcontact electrode 232 and the second contact electrode 233 can have asubstantially similar size and/or shape. For example, the first contactelectrode 232 and the second contact electrode 233 can have asubstantially semicircular shape, and can be formed or deposited on aperipheral portion of the surface 234. In some examples, however, thefirst and second contact electrodes 232, 233 can be any desired size orshape. Further, in some examples, the first contact electrode 232 andthe second contact electrode 233 can cover or be deposited on only aportion of the exterior surface 234 of the component 230. Accordingly,one or more sensors of an electronic device, such as the optical sensorsdescribed with respect to FIGS. 2-3 , can communicate with and receivelight from the ambient environment through the portions of thetransparent material 231 that are not covered by the first contactelectrode 232 and the second contact electrode 233.

In some examples, the transparent portion 231 can be transparent to oneor more ranges of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. In someexamples, the transparent portion 231 can include a transparent ceramicor polymeric material, such as a polycarbonate material, acrylicmaterial, glass material, sapphire material, or combinations thereof. Insome examples, the transparent portion 231 can be a substantiallyunitary or continuous portion of material, although in some otherexamples the transparent portion 231 can be formed from multipleportions or components that can be fused or joined together. Thetransparent portion 231 can be any shape or size, as described herein.

In some examples, one or both of the first contact electrode 232 and thesecond contact electrode 233 can include one or more thin films. Thesethin films can be deposited by one or more deposition processes, such asphysical vapor deposition (PVD) processes as described herein. Thematerials of the first contact electrode 232 and the second contactelectrode 233 can be chosen to provide a desired level of electricalcontact when in physical contact with a desired surface, such as theskin of a user. The materials of the first contact electrode 232 and thesecond contact electrode 233 can also be chosen to provide desiredlevels of hardness, durability, or any other material properties. Thematerials of the first contact electrode 232 and the second contactelectrode 233 can include metallic materials, ceramic materials, orcombinations thereof. For example, the first contact electrode 232 caninclude a metallic film including chromium or titanium, and a ceramicfilm including a ceramic material including chromium or titanium.

FIG. 5B shows a top view of the component 230 including an interiorsurface 235 that can at least partially define an internal volume of anelectronic device. As can be seen, the first contact electrode 232 canextend from the exterior surface 234 shown in FIG. 5A, around an edge orperiphery of the component 230, and to the interior surface 235.Similarly, the second contact electrode 233 can extend from the exteriorsurface 234 to the interior surface 235. In some examples, anelectrically conductive material, or portions of an electricallyconductive material, can be formed, deposited, or otherwise placed onthe interior surface 235 of the transparent portion 231. In someexamples, this conductive material can be a metallic material such ascopper, aluminum, any other conductive material, or combinationsthereof. In some examples, the portions of conductive material can formone or more electrical contacts that can provide an electricalconnection to one or more components of the electronic device, such asthe sensors described herein. For example, the portions of conductivematerial disposed on the interior surface 235 can form or define a firstcomponent contact 251, a second component contact 252, and a thirdcomponent contact 253. These component contacts 251, 252, 253 can beelectrically coupled or connected to any desired component in theelectronic device, for example, by solder, conductive inks, or any othermethods or components.

In some examples, the first contact electrode 232 can be electricallycoupled to one or more component contacts 251, 252, 253. For example,the portion of the first conductive electrode 232 that is deposited orformed on the interior surface 235 of the component 230 can beelectrically coupled to a component contact 251, 252, 253 by anelectrically conductive ink 242 or other conductive material. In someexamples, the electrically conductive ink 242 can include conductiveparticles suspended in a binder material, such as silver particlessuspended in a polymer binder. In some examples, this portion ofelectrically conductive ink 242 can be applied over the first contactelectrode 232 and also over one or more component contacts 251, 252, 253to form an electrical connection therebetween. Accordingly, the firstcontact electrode 232 can be in electrical communication with one ormore components of an electronic device through the first conductive inkportion 242 and one more component contacts to 251, 252, 253. Similarly,the second contact electrode 233 can be electrically coupled to one ormore component contacts 251, 252, 253 through a second portion ofconductive ink 243. Thus, an electrical pathway can be formed throughthe first contact electrode 232 and/or the second contact electrode 233from an exterior surface 234 of the component 230 to the interior volumeat least partially defined by the component 230, including one or moresensors or other electronic components, as described herein. In someexamples, the first contact electrode 232 and the second contactelectrode 233 can be in electrical communication with one anotherthrough a shared component contact. In other examples, however, thefirst contact electrode 232 and the second contact electrode 233 are notin electrical communication with one another.

Although described herein as conductive ink portions 242, 243, in someexamples, these portions can include any desired conductive material.For example, the portions 242, 243 can include a solder, adhesivecontact material, an electrical connector, or any other conductivematerial. In some examples, a masking layer 260 can be formed over theconductive material that includes the component contacts 251, 252, 253.In some examples, the masking layer 260 can be an insulating materialand can serve to electrically insulate one or more portions of thecomponent contacts to 251, 252, 253 or any other components of anelectronic device. Further, the masking layer 260 can serve as anoptical masking layer and can optically isolate one or more portions ofthe component 230 and/or sensors in the device. Various examples ofcomponents, such as housing components including films or layers thatcan provide electrical pathways between the surfaces of the componentand processes for forming the same are described below with reference toFIGS. 6-8 .

FIG. 6 illustrates a portion of a component 330 including a transparentportion or body 331, and a contact electrode 332 including a conductivefilm 321 and a ceramic film 323 at least partially overlapping theconductive film 321. As can be seen, the transparent portion 331 candefine a first surface 334 and a second surface 335 that can be disposedopposite the first surface 335. In some examples, the second surface 335of the transparent portion 331 can at least partially define an interiorvolume of an electronic device including the component 330, and can beconsidered an interior surface of the component 330. Similarly, thesurface 334 can at least partially define an exterior surface of anelectronic device including the component, and can therefore be incommunication with the ambient environment. In some examples, thesurface 334 can be considered an exterior surface. Either or both of thesurfaces 334, 335 can include any combination of planar and non-planarportions. In some examples, either or both of the surfaces 334, 335 canhave non-planar geometries, such as concave or convex geometries. Insome examples, either or both of the surfaces 334, 335 can include oneor more non-planar features or structures, such as protrusions,indentations, corners, curves, lips, edges, chamfers, other features orstructure, or combinations thereof. In some examples, either or both ofsurfaces 334, 335 can include any non-planar geometry that does notinclude an undercut feature or structure. Although, in some otherexamples, either or both of surfaces 334, 335 can include one or moreundercuts.

The material forming the transparent portion 331 can be any materialthat is substantially transparent to a desired range of wavelengths oflight. For example, the transparent portion 331 can include a materialthat is transparent to optical light, infrared light, ultraviolet light,or combinations thereof. In some examples, the transparent portion 331can include a transparent plastic material such as polycarbonate and/oran acrylic material, a ceramic material such as glass, sapphire, and/orany other desired ceramic material, or combinations thereof. In someexamples, the transparent portion 331 can have any desired thickness andcan be on the order of about a few millimeters to a few tens ofmillimeters thick. In some examples, one or more portions of thetransparent portion 331 can be as thin as a few hundred microns.Further, in some examples, the transparent portion 331 can have athickness that varies at locations of the transparent portion 331.

In some examples, the conductive film 321 can be deposited or formedover the interior surface 335 and at least partially over the exteriorsurface 334, as shown. In some examples, the conductive film 321 can beformed by any desired deposition process or combination of processes,such as physical vapor deposition processes, chemical vapor depositionprocesses, epitaxial growth processes, electrochemical formationprocesses, printing processes, ink jetting processes, sprayingprocesses, plating processes, any other known deposition process orprocess discovered in the future, or combinations thereof. In someexamples, the conductive film 321 can have a uniform thickness over theentire region onto which it is deposited. In some examples, however, thethickness of the conductive film 321 can vary depending on thedeposition location on the transparent portion 331. Further, in someexamples and as described herein, the conductive film 321 can includemultiple layers or films of conductive material.

In some examples, the conductive film 321 can include any electricallyconductive material or combination of materials. For example, theconductive film 321 can include one or more metals, such as chromium,titanium, copper, aluminum, silver, or combinations thereof. In someexamples, the conductive film 321 can be a ductile material. That is, insome examples, the conductive film 321 can be more ductile than theceramic film 323. The conductive film 321 can have a thickness of fromabout 10 nanometers (nm) to about 300 nm. In some examples, theconductive film 321 can be from about 25 nm thick to about 200 nm thick,or from about 50 nm thick to about 100 nm thick. For example, theconductive film 321 can be about 50 nm thick or about 100 nm thick. Insome examples, the conductive film 321 can be about 100 nm thick on theinterior surface 335, and about 50 nm thick on the exterior surface 334.

In some examples, the component 330 can further include a ceramic film323 that can be formed or deposited on the exterior surface 334 suchthat the ceramic film 323 at least partially overlaps the portion of theconductive film 321 deposited on the exterior surface 334. In thismanner, the ceramic film 323 can be in electrical communication with theconductive film 321, for example, at the location where the films 321,323 overlap. The ceramic film 323 can include any desired ceramicmaterial, and in some examples, can include a ceramic material thatprovides a desired level of electrical communication between the ceramicfilm 323 and a user's skin when in contact therewith. In some examples,the electrical contact between the ceramic film 323 and the user's skincan be, or can include, a form of ionic contact. That is, in someexamples, electrical signals can be transmitted or communicated from theuser's skin to the ceramic film 323 at least partially by ionicconduction. In some examples, the ceramic film 323 can be formed by anydesired deposition process or combination of processes, such as physicalvapor deposition processes, chemical vapor deposition processes,epitaxial growth processes, electrochemical formation processes,printing processes, ink jetting processes, spraying processes, platingprocesses, any other known deposition process or process discovered inthe future, or combinations thereof.

In some examples, the ceramic film 323 can include a carbide material, anitride material, or a carbonitride material. In some examples, theceramic film 323 can include additional component elements, such assilicon and/or metallic elements. Accordingly, in some examples, theceramic film 323 can include a carbonitride material such as a siliconcarbonitride material. In some examples, the ceramic film 323 caninclude chromium silicon carbonitride (CrSiCN) or aluminum titaniumnitride (AlTiN). In some examples, the ceramic film 323 can include thematerial or materials of the conductive film 321. For example, where theconductive film 321 includes chromium, the ceramic film 323 can includea ceramic material containing chromium, such as CrSiCN. Similarly, wherethe conductive film 321 includes titanium, the ceramic film 323 caninclude a titanium containing ceramic, such as AlTiN. The ceramic film323 can have any desired thickness, for example, from about 10 nm thickto about 5000 nm (5 microns) thick. In some examples, the ceramic film323 can be from about 100 nm to about 2500 nm (2.5 microns) thick, orfrom about 500 nm to about 1000 nm (1 micron) thick. For example, theceramic film 323 can be about 1000 nm thick. In some examples, thethickness of the ceramic film 323 can vary at various locations on thecomponent 330. In some examples, the ceramic film 323 can have ahardness of greater than about 1000 as expressed by the Vickers PyramidNumber (HV), greater than about 1500 HV, greater than about 2000 HV,greater than about 2500 HV, greater than about 3000 HV, or even greater.

As described herein, the conductive film 321 can include a metallicmaterial that can be more ductile than the ceramic film 323. In this waythe conductive film 321 can serve to provide high levels of adhesionbetween the contact electrode 332 and the transparent portion 331because the ductile conductive film 321 can conform to the surface ofthe transparent portion 331 and can also absorb and distribute anystresses that are exerted on the contact electrode 332. The ceramic film323 can include a ceramic material that, in addition to providing adesired level of electrical communication with the ambient environment,can provide desired levels of other material properties such ashardness, durability, and/or corrosion resistance. As the ceramic film323 can be deposited on the exterior surface 334 of the transparentportion 331, the ceramic film 323 can at least partially define anexterior surface of an electronic device including the component 330.Accordingly, the material of the ceramic film 323 can have a level ofhardness that can withstand everyday use of electronic device in anambient environment. Similarly, the ceramic material of the ceramic film323 can have a level of corrosion resistance that can preventdegradation or undesirable levels of corrosion of the ceramic film 323to enable continued use in a wide range of environments. Through thecombination of a relatively hard exterior ceramic film 323 and arelatively ductile conductive film 321 at least partially underlying theceramic film 323, the contact electrode 332 can achieve desired levelsof adhesion to the transparent portion 331 while still maintainingdesired levels of hardness and corrosion resistance to withstandexposure to the ambient environment and to maintain a desired level ofelectrical communication with a user's skin. Further details of acomponent 430 are described with respect to FIG. 7 .

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a component430 that can be substantially similar to, and include some or all of thefeatures of the components 130, 230, 330 described herein with respectto FIGS. 1-6 . The component 430 can include a transparent portion 431that includes a transparent material such as a transparent plastic orceramic material, as described herein. In some examples, the transparentportion 431 can have a non-planar shape or profile. The transparentportion 431 can define a first exterior surface 434 that can at leastpartially define an exterior surface of an electronic device includingthe component 430. In some examples, the exterior surface can be aconvex surface. The transparent portion 431 can also define an interiorsurface 435 that can at least partially define an interior volume of anelectronic device including the component 430. In some examples, theinterior surface 435 can be disposed opposite the exterior surface 434.The interior surface 435 can have a non-planar shape or profile and can,for example, be a concave surface. In some examples, the profiles of theexterior surface 434 and the interior surface 435 can correspond to oneanother. In some other examples, however, one or more portions of eithersurface 434, 435 can have a shape that does not correspond to a shape ofthe opposing surface 434, 435.

In some examples, the component 430 can include a first contactelectrode 432 that can include some or all of the features of thecontact electrodes 132, 133, 232, 233, 322 described herein. The firstcontact electrode 432 can include a first conductive film or layer 421that can be deposited over a portion or region of the interior surface435, for example, a portion adjacent to a periphery of the transparentportion 431. In some examples, the first conductive film 421 can extendat least partially onto the exterior surface 434 of the transparentportion 431. The first conductive film 421 can include some or all ofthe features of any of the conductive films or layers described herein.In some examples, the first conductive film 421 can include a metallicmaterial such as chromium, and can have a thickness of about 100 nm.

The first contact electrode 432 can also include a second conductivefilm or layer 422. The second conductive film 422 can be deposited atleast partially on the exterior surface 434 of the transparent portion431 and can at least partially overlap the first conductive film 421.For example, the second conductive film 422 can at least partiallyoverlap the portion of the first conductive film 421 that is formed ordeposited on the exterior surface 434. In some examples, the secondconductive film 422 can include the same material as the firstconductive film 421. For example, where the first conductive film 421includes chromium, the second conductive film 422 can also includechromium. In some other examples, however, the second conductive film422 can include any desired material, such as any conductive material,as described herein. The second conductive film 422 can be in electricalcommunication with the first conductive film 421. In some examples, thesecond conductive film 422 can have a thickness of about 50 nm.

In some examples, a metallurgical bond can be formed between the secondconductive film 422 and the first conductive film 421 at the portionswhere the films overlap. In some examples, the second conductive film422 and the first conductive film 421 can be considered a substantiallycontinuous or unitary film, for example, due to the nature of thedeposition processes of the films 421, 422. In some examples, the firstconductive film 421 can be formed prior to the second conductive film422. In some examples, one or more other processes can be carried out onthe component 430 in between, prior to, or subsequent to the depositionof the first conductive film 421 and the second conductive film 422.Together, the first conductive film 421 and the second conductive film422 can be considered a single aggregate conductive film or layer thatextends from the exterior surface 434 to the interior surface 435 of thetransparent portion 431.

In some examples, the thickness of the aggregate conductive filmincluding the first conductive film 421 and the second conductive film422 can vary at a number of locations along the transparent portion 431.For example, the aggregate conductive film can have a thickness of about100 nm at the location on the interior surface 435 where the conductivefilm includes only the first conductive film 421 and a thickness ofabout 50 nm at the locations on the exterior surface 434 where theaggregate conductive film includes only the second conductive film 422.In some examples, the thickness of the aggregate conductive film at thelocation on the transparent portion 431 where the second conductive film422 overlaps the first conductive film 421 can be about the thickness ofthe first conductive film 421 added to the second conductive film 422.In some examples, owing to the directional nature of the depositionprocesses involved and/or the geometry of the transparent portion 431,the first conductive film 421 and/or the second conductive film 422 canhave a reduced thickness at the location where the films 421, 422overlap. Therefore, in some examples, the aggregate conductive film canhave a thickness at the overlap location of the first conductive film421 and the second conductive film 422 that is less than the summedthicknesses of other portions of the first conductive film 421 and thesecond conductive film 422.

The first contact electrode 432 of the component 430 can further includea ceramic film 423 that is deposited on the exterior surface 434 andthat at least partially overlaps the conductive film, for example, thesecond conductive film 422. The ceramic film 423 can include some or allof the features of any of the other ceramic films described herein, andcan have a thickness between about 10 nm and about 5000 nm, for example,a thickness of about 1000 nm. As described herein, the ceramic film 423can include any carbide, nitride, or carbonitride material including thematerial of the first conductive film 421 and/or the second conductivefilm 422. For example, where the first and second conductive films 421,422 include chromium, the ceramic film 423 can include a chromiumcontaining carbonitride material, such as CrSiCN. The ceramic film 423can be in electrical communication with the second conductive film 422.Therefore, due to the overlapping positions of the second conductivefilm 422 and the first conductive film 421, the ceramic film 423 can bein electrical communication with the first conductive film 421 on theinterior surface 435. Accordingly, the first contact electrode 432 candefine an electrical pathway from the exterior surface 434 through theceramic film 423, second conductive film 422, and first conductive film421, to the interior surface 435 where the first conductive film 421 canbe electrically coupled to one or more components of an electronicdevice, for example, through a conductive ink or other conductivematerial, as described herein.

The portion of the first contact electrode 432 that at least partiallydefines an exterior surface of the component 430, for example, theportion including the ceramic film 423, can have desired levels of oneor more material properties such as hardness, corrosion resistance,and/or durability. Further, because the ceramic film 423 can at leastpartially define the exterior surface of the device including thecomponent 430 and can best be visible to a user, the ceramic film 423can have a desired cosmetic or aesthetic appearance as well. In someexamples, the material of the ceramic film, for example, the elementsincluding the ceramic film and their respective ratios in the materialof the ceramic film 423 can be chosen to provide a desired color and/orbrightness to the ceramic film 423.

In some examples, the ceramic film 423 can include CrSiCN having acomposition of about 50 weight percent (wt %) chromium, about 30 wt %silicon, and about 10 wt % carbon and nitrogen, with the remainderincluding any number of additional component elements, such as oxygen.In some examples, the weight percentage of chromium in the ceramic filmcan be increased to provide a lighter colored ceramic film 423, ordecreased to provide a darker colored ceramic film 423, whilemaintaining other desired material properties. In some examples wherethe ceramic film 423 includes titanium, such as in an AlTiN ceramic film423, the weight percentage of titanium can be increased to provide alighter color to the ceramic film 423, or decreased to provide a darkercolor to the ceramic film 423, while maintaining other desired materialproperties. In some examples, the ceramic film 423 can include AlTiNwhere it is desirable to have a darker cosmetic appearance than a pureCrSiCN film, while the ceramic film 423 can include a TiCN-containingmaterial or a CrTiCN-containing material when a cosmetic appearancelighter than a pure CrSiCN film is desired. In some examples, theceramic film 423 can have an L* value in the CIELAB color space that canbe from about 40 to about 90, from about 50 to about 80, from about 60to about 70, or from about 55 to about 65, for example, about 60.Further details of an electronic device 500 including a component 530are described below with reference to FIG. 8 .

Additionally, while the configuration of the contact electrode 432including a first conductive layer 421, a second conductive layer 422,and a ceramic film 423 deposited over at least the second conductivelayer 423 can prevent or reduce delamination of one or more layers ofthe contact electrode 432, in some examples, this configuration can alsomaintain a desired level of functionality even if some delamination doesoccur. For example, high stress events and/or extremely high levels ofwear can cause some brittle cracking and/or delamination of the ceramicfilm 423 from the underlying second conductive film 422. In theseinstances, the electrical pathway from the exterior surface 434 to theinterior surface 435 can still be maintained because even thoughlocalized delamination of the ceramic film 423 might have occurred,other portions of the ceramic film 423 can maintain electrical contactor communication with the second conductive layer 422 to providealternative electrical pathways from the ceramic film 423, through thesecond conductive film 422, to the first conductive film 421.

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronicdevice 500 including a back cover 510 and a component 530, as describedherein. The back cover 510 and the component 530 can include some or allof the features of the back covers 110, 210 and components 130, 230,330, 430 described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-3 and 1-7 ,respectively. As can be seen, the component 530 can be substantiallysimilar to the component 430 described with respect to FIG. 7 . Forexample, the component 530 can include a transparent portion 531 thatcan include a transparent polymer or ceramic material such as sapphire.

The component 530 can also include a first-contact electrode 532 thatcan include some or all of the features of the contact electrodes 132,133, 232, 233, 332, 432 described herein. For example, the contactelectrode 532 can include a conductive layer including a firstconductive film 521 deposited on an interior surface 535 of thetransparent portion 531, and a second conductive film 522 deposited onthe exterior surface 534 of the transparent portion 531. The secondconductive film 522 can at least partially overlap the first conductivefilm 521 to form the aggregate conductive layer. The first conductivefilm 521 and second conductive film 522 can include some or all of thefeatures of any of the other conductive films described herein. Thecontact electrode 532 can further include a ceramic film 523 depositedover the exterior surface 534 of the transparent portion 531, and atleast partially over the conductive layer, for example, over the secondconductive film 522. In some examples, the first conductive film 521 andthe second conductive film 522 can include chromium, and the ceramicfilm 523 can include CrSiCN. In some examples, the first conductive film521 and the second conductive film 522 can include titanium, and theceramic film 523 can include AlTiN. As described herein, the firstcontact electrode 532 can provide or define an electrical pathway fromthe exterior surface 534 of the component 530, and thus, from theexterior surface of the electronic device 500, to an interior surface ofthe component 530.

In some examples, the component 530 can be joined to the back cover 510to form at least a portion of a housing of the electronic device 500. Insome examples, the component 530 can be joined, bonded, or adhered toone or more surfaces of the back cover 510, for example, by an adhesiveor sealant material 570. As can be seen, the sealant material 570 canoccupy a space between the interior surface 535 of the component 530 andone or more surfaces of the back cover 510 to provide a substantiallywatertight and/or airtight seal between the component 530 and the backcover 510. Accordingly, the internal volume of the electronic device 500that is at least partially defined by the component 530 and back cover510 can be sealed and isolated from the ambient environment. As such,some or all of the exterior surface 534 of the component 530 can beexposed to the ambient environment outside the electronic device 500,while some or all of the interior surface of the component 530 can atleast partially define the internal volume of the device 500. Thus, insome examples, the location of the seal or sealant material 570 canserve to divide, separate, or isolate the interior surface 535 and theexterior surface 534 of the component 530.

In some examples, the sealant material 570 can be any material that canprovide or act as an airtight and/or watertight seal between thecomponent 530 and the back cover 510. In some examples, the sealantmaterial 570 can include a material including one or more polymers. Insome examples, the sealant material 570 can include an adhesive, such asa pressure sensitive adhesive, and/or a glue. In some examples, thesealant material 570 can be disposed at, or adjacent to, a periphery ofthe component 530. In some examples, a peripheral shape of the component530 can correspond to a peripheral shape of an aperture defined by theback cover 510 in which the component 530 is disposed. In theseexamples, the sealant material 570 can be disposed around some or all ofthe periphery of the component 530 and/or the portion of the back cover510 defining the aperture in which the component 530 is disposed. Insome examples, the sealant material 570 can serve to join the component530 to the back cover 510, such that the component 530 is retainedagainst the back cover 510 exclusively or substantially exclusively bythe sealant material 570. In some examples, however, one or moreadditional retaining features or materials can be used to retain thecomponent 530 against the back cover 510, and a sealant material 570 canserve as a seal between the back cover 510 and the component 530. Insome examples, the component 530 can be retained in a desired locationrelative to the back cover 510 by some combination of retaining featuresor components and the sealant material 570.

As shown, the first contact electrode 532 can extend from the exteriorsurface 534 to the interior surface 535 past the sealant material 570.In some examples, therefore, the sealant material 570 can directlycontact the first contact electrode 532 to form the seal between thecomponent 530 and the back cover 510. Accordingly, the high levels ofadhesion between the layers of the first contact electrode 532, such asthe first conductive film 521, and the transparent portion 531 canprevent undesirable delamination or decoupling between the back cover510 and the component 530. Further, the materials of the first contactelectrode 532 can be selected such that they are able to withstandexposure and bonding with the sealant material 570. Thus, in someexamples, the electrical pathway defined by the first contact electrode532 can extend from an exterior surface 534 of the device 500 to aninternal volume of the device 500 through or across a seal formedbetween component 530 and back cover 510. In some other examples,however, the component 530 can additionally or alternatively be bondedor sealed to one or more other housing components of the device 500.

In this way, and as described herein, an electrical signal transmittedor relayed through the first contact electrode 532 can travel along theelectrical pathway defined by the first contact electrode 532 from theexterior surface 534 to an internal volume of the device 500 without theneed for any openings or apertures of the device 500, and without theneed to expose one or more sensors disposed in the internal volume tothe ambient environment. The portion of the first contact electrode 532disposed on the surface 535 that can at least partially define aninternal volume of the device 500 can then be electrically coupled toone or more other components of the device 500, such as one or moresensors, as described herein.

Any number or variety of electronic device components can include layersor films of material that can provide an electrical pathway betweensurfaces of the component as described herein. The process for forming aconductive pathway can include any combination of film or layerformation, or deposition processes in any combination, as describedherein. The component can include a conductive film or layer that canextend from one surface of the component to another surface, and aceramic film formed over and in electrical communication with at least aportion of the conductive film to provide the electrical pathway.Various examples of components, such as housing components includingfilms or layers that can provide electrical pathways between thesurfaces of the component and processes for forming the same aredescribed below with reference to FIG. 9 .

FIG. 9 illustrates a process flow diagram of a process for forming anelectrically conductive housing component. According to FIG. 9 , theprocess 600 for forming an electrically conductive housing component caninclude depositing a first conductive layer on a first surface of thecomponent at block 610, depositing a second conductive layer on a secondsurface of the component and at least partially over the firstconductive layer at block 620, and depositing a ceramic film over atleast the second conductive layer at block 630.

At block 610, a first conductive layer or film is deposited on a firstsurface of a component. In some examples, the component can include someor all of the features of the components 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, asdescribed herein with respect to FIGS. 1-8 . In some examples, thecomponent can be a housing component of an electronic device. In someexamples, the component can be substantially any component of anelectronic device. In some examples, the first surface can have a planarsurface or a non-planar surface, for example, a surface having a concaveor convex geometry. The first surface can include substantially anydesired material that is able to withstand the deposition process andcan be, for example, a polymeric or ceramic surface such as atransparent polymeric or transparent ceramic surface.

The first conductive layer can be deposited by any desired depositionprocess or processes, such as physical vapor deposition processes,chemical vapor deposition processes, epitaxial growth processes,electrochemical formation processes, printing processes, inkjettingprocesses, spraying processes, plating processes, any other knowndeposition process or process discovered in the future, or combinationsthereof. In some examples, the deposition process can be a physicalvapor deposition process, chemical vapor deposition process, atomiclayer deposition process, or any other desired deposition processcapable of depositing a film with the properties described herein. Insome examples, the first conductive layer can include any conductivematerial, such as a metallic material as described herein. For example,the first conductive layer can include chromium, titanium, or any otherconductive metal or combinations thereof.

In some examples, the conductive film can have a uniform thickness overthe entire region onto which it is deposited. In some examples, however,the thickness of the conductive film can vary depending on the geometryand location onto which it is deposited. Further, in some examples andas described herein, the conductive film can include multiple layers orfilms of conductive material. The conductive film can have a thicknessof from about 10 nm to about 300 nm. In some examples, the conductivefilm can be from about 25 nm thick to about 200 nm thick, or from about50 nm thick to about 100 nm thick. For example, the conductive film canbe about 50 nm thick or about 100 nm thick. In some examples, theconductive film can be about 100 nm thick at some portions, and about 50nm thick at some other portions.

In some examples, one or more processing steps can be carried out on thecomponent prior to depositing the first conductive layer thereon. Insome examples, one or more regions of the first surface of the componentand/or any other surface of the component can be, for example, subjectedto a cleaning process, activation process, passivation process, maskingprocess, or combinations thereof.

At block 620 a second conductive layer can be deposited on a secondsurface of the component and at least partially over the firstconductive layer. In some examples, the first conductive layer depositedat block 610 can extend at least partially onto the second surface suchthat the second conductive layer is deposited over the portion of thefirst conductive layer on the second surface of the component. In someexamples, however, a portion of the second conductive layer can bedeposited over the first surface of the component at a location of thefirst conductive layer in addition to being deposited on the secondsurface of the component. In some examples, the second surface of thecomponent can be disposed opposite the first surface of the component.In some examples, the second surface of the component can have anydesired shape or geometry, and can be a planer or non-planar surface,such as a surface having a convex or concave geometry.

As with the deposition of the first conductive layer at block 610, thesecond conductive layer can be deposited by any desired depositionprocess or processes. For example, the second conductive layer can bedeposited by one or more physical vapor deposition processes, chemicalvapor deposition processes, epitaxial growth processes, electrochemicalformation processes, printing processes, ink jetting processes, sprayingprocesses, plating processes, any other known deposition process orprocess discovered in the future, or combinations thereof. The secondconductive layer can have some or all of the properties of the firstconductive layer as described with respect to block 610. In someexamples, the second conductive layer can include the same or a similarmaterial as the first conductive layer. For example, where the firstconductive layer includes a layer of chromium, the second conductivelayer can also include a layer of chromium. As a result, in someexamples, the deposition of the second conductive layer over the firstconductive layer can produce a single layer or film that can beconsidered a continuous or unitary layer or film. In some examples,however, the second conductive layer can include a different materialthan the first conductive layer. In some examples, the second conductivelayer can have any desired thickness and can have a thickness that isthe same as, or different from, the first conductive layer. In someexamples, the second conductive layer can be in electrical communicationwith the first conductive layer such that an electrical signal providedthrough the second conductive layer is also provided through the firstconductive layer.

In some examples, the first surface of the component described withrespect to block 610 can be an interior or internal surface of acomponent, while the second surface of the component can be in externalor exterior surface. In some examples, the external surface can at leastpartially define an external surface of an electronic device includingthe component, while the internal surface can at least partially definean internal volume of the electronic device, as described herein.

At block 630, a ceramic film can be deposited at least over a portion ofthe second conductive layer that was deposited at block 620. In someexamples, the ceramic film can also be deposited over a portion of thefirst conductive layer described with respect to block 610. The ceramicfilm can include some or all of the features and properties of any ofthe ceramic films described herein, such as ceramic films 323, 423, 523described with respect to FIGS. 5A-8 .

In some examples, the ceramic film can include a carbide material, anitride material, or a carbonitride material. In some examples, ceramicfilm can include additional component elements, such as silicon and/ormetallic elements. Accordingly, in some examples, the ceramic film caninclude a carbonitride material such as a silicon carbonitride material.In some examples, ceramic film can include chromium silicon carbonitride(CrSiCN) or aluminum titanium nitride (AlTiN). In some examples, theceramic film can include the material or materials of the conductivelayers deposited at blocks 610, 620. For example, where the conductivefilms include chromium, the ceramic film can include a ceramic materialcontaining chromium, such as CrSiCN. Similarly, where a conductive filmincludes titanium, the ceramic film can include a titanium containingceramic, such as AlTiN. The ceramic film can have any desired thickness,for example, from about 10 nm thick to about 5000 nm thick. In someexamples, the ceramic film can be from about 100 nm to about 2500 nmthick, or from about 500 nm to about 1000 nm thick. For example, theceramic film can be about 1000 nm thick. In some examples, the thicknessof the ceramic film can vary at different locations on the component. Insome examples, the ceramic film can have a hardness of greater thanabout 1000 HV, greater than about 1500 HV, greater than about 2000 HV,greater than about 2500 HV, greater than about 3000 HV, or even greater.

In some examples, the ceramic film can be in electrical contact orcommunication with the first and second conductive layers that weredeposited at blocks 610 and 620. In some examples, while the ceramicfilm is not considered a conductive material in a conventional ortraditional sense, the nature of the contact between the ceramic filmand a desired surface, such as a user's skin, as well as the sheetresistance and thickness of the ceramic film, can serve to provide anelectrical signal from a user's skin to the first and second conductivelayers, whereupon it can be communicated to one or more components of anelectronic device. Accordingly, even though the ceramic material is nottypically considered a highly conductive material, the ceramic materialcan be conductive enough to provide an electrical signal from anexterior of the component to an interior surface, such as the firstsurface of the component, whereupon it can be communicated or receivedby one or more components of an electronic device, as described herein.

In some examples, one or more processing steps can be carried out afterthe deposition of the ceramic film at block 630, and/or at any timebefore or after the process steps described with respect to blocks 610,620. For example, a masking process or cleaning process can be carriedout on the component after each of blocks 610, 620, 630. Additionalprocess steps, for example, the application of a conductive ink to anexposed region of the first conductive layer can also be carried out atany desired time. Further, in some examples, the steps of blocks 610,620, 630 can be carried out in any desired order. In some examples,however the first conductive layer can be deposited prior to the secondconductive layer and the ceramic film, while the second conductive layercan be deposited subsequent to the first conductive layer and prior todepositing ceramic film, and the ceramic film can be depositedsubsequent to the deposition of the first conductive layer and thesecond conductive layer. In some examples, block 610 can be carried outbefore substantially any other processing is performed or conducted onthe component, except, in some examples, for forming and cleaningprocesses. In this way, block 610 can be carried out before otherprocesses that can introduce contamination to the component ordeposition apparatus, thereby ensuring a desired level of adhesionbetween the first conductive film and the surface of the component.

In some examples, the deposition steps described at blocks 610, 620, 630can be carried out in a single deposition chamber or apparatus, or canbe carried out in one or more different deposition chambers orapparatuses. For example, a single deposition chamber or apparatus cancontain targets or components to provide for the deposition of the firstconductive layer, second conductive layer, and ceramic film, and thesecomponents can be activated or used at desired times and for desireddurations in order to perform the method 600, as described herein.

Any of the features or aspects of the components discussed herein can becombined or included in any varied combination. For example, the designand shape of the components including electrical pathways are notlimited in any way and can be formed by any number of processes,including those discussed herein. A component including one or morecontact electrodes, as discussed herein, can be or can form all or aportion of a component, such as a housing or enclosure, for anelectronic device. The component can also be or form any number ofadditional components of an electronic device, including internalcomponents, external components, cases, surfaces, or partial surfaces.

To the extent applicable to the present technology, gathering and use ofdata available from various sources can be used to improve the deliveryto users of invitational content or any other content that may be ofinterest to them. The present disclosure contemplates that in someinstances, this gathered data may include personal information data thatuniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate a specificperson. Such personal information data can include demographic data,location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, TWITTER® ID's,home addresses, data or records relating to a user's health or level offitness (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information,exercise information), date of birth, or any other identifying orpersonal information.

The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personalinformation data, in the present technology, can be used to the benefitof users. For example, the personal information data can be used todeliver targeted content that is of greater interest to the user.Accordingly, use of such personal information data enables users tocalculated control of the delivered content. Further, other uses forpersonal information data that benefit the user are also contemplated bythe present disclosure. For instance, health and fitness data may beused to provide insights into a user's general wellness or may be usedas positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellnessgoals.

The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible forthe collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use ofsuch personal information data will comply with well-established privacypolicies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities shouldimplement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining personal information data private andsecure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users and should beupdated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personalinformation from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonableuses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimateuses. Further, such collection/sharing should occur after receiving theinformed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities shouldconsider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access tosuch personal information data and ensuring that others with access tothe personal information data adhere to their privacy policies andprocedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluationby third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacypolicies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should beadapted for the particular types of personal information data beingcollected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards,including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in the US,collection of or access to certain health data may be governed byfederal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA); whereas health data in other countries maybe subject to other regulations and policies and should be handledaccordingly. Hence different privacy practices should be maintained fordifferent personal data types in each country.

Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplatesembodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to,personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplatesthat hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent orblock access to such personal information data. For example, in the caseof advertisement delivery services, the present technology can beconfigured to allow users to select to “opt in” or “opt out” ofparticipation in the collection of personal information data duringregistration for services or anytime thereafter. In another example,users can select not to provide mood-associated data for targetedcontent delivery services. In yet another example, users can select tolimit the length of time mood-associated data is maintained or entirelyprohibit the development of a baseline mood profile. In addition toproviding “opt in” and “opt out” options, the present disclosurecontemplates providing notifications relating to the access or use ofpersonal information. For instance, a user may be notified upondownloading an app that their personal information data will be accessedand then reminded again just before personal information data isaccessed by the app.

Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personalinformation data should be managed and handled in a way to minimizerisks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can beminimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once itis no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including incertain health related applications, data de-identification can be usedto protect a user's privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, whenappropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth,etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g.,collecting location data a city level rather than at an address level),controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users),and/or other methods.

Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use ofpersonal information data to implement one or more various disclosedembodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the variousembodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing suchpersonal information data. That is, the various embodiments of thepresent technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all ora portion of such personal information data. For example, content can beselected and delivered to users by inferring preferences based onnon-personal information data or a bare minimum amount of personalinformation, such as the content being requested by the deviceassociated with a user, other non-personal information available to thecontent delivery services, or publicly available information.

As used herein, the terms exterior, outer, interior, inner, top, andbottom are used for reference purposes only. An exterior or outerportion of a component can form a portion of an exterior surface of thecomponent but does not necessarily form the entire exterior of outersurface thereof. Similarly, the interior or inner portion of a componentcan form or define an interior or inner portion of the component but canalso form or define a portion of an exterior or outer surface of thecomponent. A top portion of a component can be located above a bottomportion in some orientations of the component, but can also be locatedin line with, below, or in other spatial relationships with the bottomportion depending on the orientation of the component.

Various inventions have been described herein with reference to certainspecific embodiments and examples. However, they will be recognized bythose skilled in the art that many variations are possible withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the inventions disclosed herein,in that those inventions set forth in the claims below are intended tocover all variations and modifications of the inventions disclosedwithout departing from the spirit of the inventions. The terms“including:” and “having” come as used in the specification and claimsshall have the same meaning as the term “comprising.”

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not targeted to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a housingcomponent defining an interior surface and an exterior surface of theelectronic device; a first film deposited on the interior surface andextending at least partially around an edge of the housing componentonto the exterior surface; and a second film deposited on the exteriorsurface and at least partially over a portion of the first film on theexterior surface, the second film in electrical communication with aportion of the first film deposited on the interior surface.
 2. Theelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a seal isolating aninternal volume of the electronic device from an ambient environment,the internal volume at least partially defined by the interior surface;and an electronic component disposed in the internal volume andelectrically coupled to the second film, wherein the exterior surface isexposed to the ambient environment.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the first film comprises at least one of chromium or titanium.4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first film comprises ametal material.
 5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the secondfilm comprises a nitride material.
 6. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the second film comprises a ceramic material.
 7. A housing foran electronic device, comprising: a conductive film deposited on a firstsurface of the housing and extending around a peripheral edge of thehousing at least partially onto a second surface of the housing oppositethe first surface; a non-metallic film layer deposited on the secondsurface and at least partially over a portion of the conductive filmdeposited on the second surface; and the conductive film and the filmlayer forming an electrically conductive pathway extending from thefirst surface to the second surface.
 8. The housing of claim 7, furthercomprising a conductive ink in electrical contact with a portion of theconductive film on the first surface.
 9. The housing of claim 7, whereinat least one of the film layer or the conductive film is deposited by aphysical vapor deposition process.
 10. The housing of claim 7, whereinthe conductive film comprises: a first conductive layer deposited on thefirst surface; and a second conductive layer deposited on the secondsurface and at least partially over the first conductive layer.
 11. Thehousing of claim 10, wherein: the first conductive layer is formed priorto the second conductive layer; and the film layer is formed subsequentto the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.
 12. Thehousing of claim 10, wherein: the first conductive layer has a thicknessof about 100 nanometers; and the second conductive layer has a thicknessof about 50 nanometers.
 13. The housing of claim 7, wherein theconductive film comprises at least one of chromium or titanium.
 14. Thehousing of claim 7, wherein the film layer comprises a conductiveceramic material.
 15. The housing of claim 14, wherein the filmcomprises a nitride including at least one of chromium or titanium. 16.The housing of claim 7, wherein the first surface comprises a non-planarsurface.
 17. The housing of claim 7, wherein the film has an L* value of55 to 65 in a CIELAB color space.
 18. A method of forming a housingcomponent, comprising: depositing a first conductive layer on a firstsurface of the housing component; depositing a second conductive layeron a second surface of the housing component opposite the first surface,the second conductive layer at least partially overlapping the firstconductive layer at a peripheral edge of the housing; and depositing athird layer over the second conductive layer.
 19. The method of claim18, wherein the second conductive layer comprises at least one ofchromium or titanium and the third layer comprises a nitride materialincluding at least one of chromium or titanium.
 20. The method of claim18, wherein the housing component is a first housing component, themethod further comprising sealing an interface between the first housingcomponent and a second housing component.